BEARING MUCH FRUIT

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:5 (NIV)

Summer is the season where a lot of trees bear fruits. We have in our house a mango tree that produces sweet mangoes. But there are times that some of the fruits fall out of the tree and they don’t get to ripe before being picked. Some fruits fall because of strong winds. Some fruits fall due to the yucky insects that eat them from the inside and make them too weak to hold on to the branch.

It sounds just like our life. There are times those difficult situations like strong winds make our fruit fall. Sometimes our sin like a yucky insect eats us up from the inside and make our fruit fall.

The question is: what is this “fruit”?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

A fruit ripens and develops over time. When we, as branches, remain in Jesus who is the Vine, then that fruit will grow and develop. When a fruit falls, we need to wait again for a new one to grow. But if and only if we remain in the Vine do this can happen.

Honestly, there were a lot of times that my fruit fell either because of difficulties or the sin that destroyed me from the inside. But because God is so gracious, He lets me learn and brings me back to Him so I can grow that fruit again through Him.

Apart from Jesus, I cannot have love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

But if I remain in Him and He remains in me, I will bear much love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

May we all grow in Him everyday! Happy season of bearing fruit! :D

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)

FEAR and the FLYING IPIS

Yes, I am afraid of the flying "ipis" (cockroach). But what's weird is that if I think about it, I can kill the cockroach. Even if it lands on my face, I would not die (though I might faint... hehehe).

A lot of the things we are afraid of are actually smaller than us. As the saying goes: F.E.A.R. is the False Expectations Appearing Real. There are a lot of things that we need not be afraid of but there is one whom we all should fear.


Luke 12:4-5 (NIV)

4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.


Does it say: "be afraid of hell"? No. It says: "fear him."

Fear God.

What does "fear" mean? Fear is actually acknowledging the power. When we fear God, we are acknowledging His power over us. When we say: "I fear God", we mean: "I know He has authority over me and I respect Him."

Just like when we fear our parents, it's a sign of respect for them when we obey them. Whether we are afraid of the punishment or not, we fear those whom we respect.

Now, think of all the things you are afraid of. Do they have power over you? Better acknowledge who has the greater power.

I declare: "Flying ipis, you have no power over me!" :D